Pelorus



AP'ELORUS. ARPLlcATmN FILED 0m21.191s.'

Patented. Feb. *8, 1921 F. C. MEICHSNER.

PELORUS.'

APPpcATlou man ocT.21. 1919.

111,367,918. Peeentea Feb. 8,1921.-

FRANK C. MEICHSNER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

PELORUS.

Application led October 27, 1919.

To @ZZ fclio/m 15 'may concern.'

Be it known that l, Firing C. MnroHsNnn, residing at Boston, in the county oi Suiiolk and State of Massachusetts, formerly a subject of the Emperor ot Germany, who have now taken ont my `irst papers as a. citizen ot' the United States, have invented a new and usetulimprovement in ljeloruses, or" which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a pelorus having advantages over other peloruses now known to me in that provision is made such that the gimbal rings on which the operative parts are mounted are supported above the housing so that the dial and parts mounted above it may swing to a greater angle to normal than is customary in instruments ot this hind, thus vastly increasing the utility oi the instrument. My invention also relates to improvements in certain details of construction as will be explained below. l

My invention will be understood by reference to the drawings, in which- Figure l is an elevation of a pelorus elnbodying my invention, its cover being 1n section;

Fig. 2 being a vertical Section therethrough on an enlarged scale, the cover being removed and the alidade being in operative position.

Fig; 3 is a plan.

Fig. l is section on line Li-4 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 5 a section on line 5-5 of F ig. 3.

A is a pier which may be of 'any desired torni and which preferably contains an'electric switch indicated at A1 in vthe circuit a carrying the electric light. B isthe housing termed in the shape of a deep cup on which the pelorus proper is mounted. The housing carries at its bottoni a flanged ring B1 which rests upon a cap A2 forming the top of the pier. The flange of the ring B1 is slotted down one side, the edges oi the slot being provided with lugs b by means of which and the thumb screw G1 the housing is clamped to the top ot the pier. A ring C surrounds the-upper part of the housing B near its top and is suitably attached thereto. rllhis ring has a flange c projecting upwardly and forming an upper edge lor the housing B. At two opposite points it is higher than at the points 900 therefrom, and these higher points carry thickened portions or ribs c1, which form bearings for the pins l of the outer gimbal ring D. The inner gimbal ring Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 8, 1921.

sei-iai No. 333,497.

F2 and has a downwardly-projecting hub or boss F1. ln this hub 1s mounted the lower end oir a stud H threaded at its bottom and held in place by a nut 7b. The upper end or' this stud H is also threaded as at h1 and it is enlarged as at h3 to torni a bearing which rests on the dial F. A washer g sur'- rounding the stud l-l rests on the dial iF. t is thicker near its center than at its periphery and forms a bearing ifor an enlarged portion :is of the stud H. It is recessed on its upper side to receive a spring washer' I# and a spring sleeve g1 within which is a nesting g2 keyed to the stud H as at h2. rhus the nesting and stud will turn together and independently of the sleeve unless the sleeve is clamped thereto as described below. @n the washer g and the inner edge of the inner giinbal ring` E (which is recessed tor the purpose) is cemented a glass disk Q, and on this disk is a washer also cemented thereto, which serves to support the parts above it and surrounds the spring sleeve g1, these two washers serving as a clamp for the. center at the glass disk and also as a gimbal box within which the stud H may be turned. To the sleeve o1 is attached, to move therewith, the base plate L or the alidade, which comprises a central portion which surrounds the sleeve and bushing, and projecting arms Z which are connected their outer ends by a crossbar Z1 carrying an upwardly-projecting lug Z2. It also carries a projection Z3 near the sleeve. which member has a threaded opening registering with the spring member j ot' the sleeve. This spring member j of the sleeve shown comprises a curved finger whichl may be pressed against the bushing g2 to clamp the plate thereto, and thus clamp the alidade. The alidade is of usual construction so far as the arrangement of its sighting members is concerned. lt comprises a central portion m from which project oppositely two forked pieces M, M1, to which the sighting` members m1, m2 are hinged, the member m? carrying a hinged member m3, a level m4 and a pointer m5.

On its` under side it has a recess to tit over the projection Z3 on the base plate ,a and ot' sullicient size to allow 'the alidade to move concentrically with reference to the plate. The outer end of M comprises two upright arms m7, m8 between which lies the lug Z- so that the base plate L and alidade must move together. Through an opening in the lug Z2 and Vtoe threzuled opening through the projection Z passes a rod ZJ' having a thuml') head Z5 at one end. its threaded end being adapted to engage the finger y' and clamp it against the lnishing g1.

The lug Z2 between, and is narrower than, the opening etween the a ms m7 and m5.` Through a. threaded opening in the arm mT passes the screw m. rhe arm ms carries a. socket member m1" within which is a spring m11 and a pin in, and the lug 'Z2 lies between the scheuv m," and the spring'- controlled pin m12, and by turning the screw m the alidade may be adjusted slightly about its center, to get a proper sight, against the resistance ot the spring head.

These parts are held in place on the stud H by a nut J1 and cap nut l2 which carries a set Screw i2 to clamp it. To adjust 'the parts so :tar described, the dial F is first adjusted. This is accomplished by loosening the nut J1 so that it will not clamp the alidade, and turning the stud ll by the cap nut J2 until the proper adjustment is secured. The nut J1 is then screwed down to clamp the lower surface oi the sleeve g1 against the spring washer It* and so clamp the dial, but leaving the alidade so that it may be turned in either direction to get general adjustment of the sights after which the line adjustment of the sights is secured by the screw m9, the alidade being then locked by the screw Z5 acting on the spring finger y'.

From the inner gimbalfring project down Ward tour arms K to the bottom ends of which is attached a weighted ring K1, which supports 'from its top springs c'whieh engage and hold in place a support vK2 tor a lamp socket carrying a lamp K3, this latter construction being such that the weight K not only maintains the parts carried by the gimbal construction'normally in horizontal position, but maintains the light in substantially fixed relation to the dial so that it will always show through the openings in the dial and glass plate with the same intensity.

From the outer edge of the inner gimbal ring E and attached thereto projects downward a hood El large enough in diameter to allow the gimbals to swing freely, and over the top ot the alidade when 'closed is a cover E2 which is held in place by lingers Ex which spring over the bottom of the cover.

By supporting the gimbal ring mechanism say an inchcr so above the upper edge of the housing.y it will swing freely and 'through a greater angle without engagement with the housing than it located within the housing or on a level therewith. Thus the device as a whole can be made more compact', the dial, etc. being of nearly the diameter of the interior of the housing, while the Vlocking screw will not engage the housing as the gimbals swing. l

The pelorus is watertight, the hood El serving to shed water without in any way interfering with the swing or rotating of the parts.

l prefer to provide the upper edge of the ring E with index marks fr a known distance apart, two only of which 180o apart are shown, to act as guides in setting up the pelorus aboard ship, the pelorus being set so that either set of marks point either exactly in the direction of the bow and stern or in a line parallel to a line joining bow and stern.

Thelamp K3 is connected by wires a with binding posts u2 (one only being shown) set into sockets a3 in thetop of the base A, and are insulated therefrom, these soeketsbeing connected by the wires a with the `switch A1 so that the circuit through the light may' be closed at will. Pins P are also provided in the bottomof'the housing to set into corresponding sockets in the top ofthe base to keep the housingfrom turning whenponce set. A pin E* may be provided to lock the gimbals; The glass plate F2 serves as a support for the dial and its stud H.

I do not mean to confine myself to the details of construction shown in the drawings andcabove described, as it will bevunderstood by those 'skilled in the art that my invention may be otherwise embodied.

What I claim as my invention i's lf A device' ofV the kind described comprising a housing, a gimbal mechanism having a dial and an alidade mounted thereon, and means lfor supporting said gimbal mechanism above said housing whereby. said gimbal mechanism andthe vparts mounted thereon may be oscillated without engagement with .the edge osaidhousing and a hood forming part of 'saidglmbal mechar nism and hanging therefrom outside said housing.

2. A device of the kind described comprising housing, supports mounted on two opposing sides thereof and projecting above n the edgeof the housing, a gimbal mechanism mounted on said supports near the top there? of and having a greater diameter than the housing, and a dial 'and alidade mounted on said gimbal mechanism whereby said gimbalmechanism and the parts supported thereon may swing freely without engage ment with said housing.

3. In a pelorus, a base plate, an alidade mounted thereon, said base plate carrying an upright projection at one end and said alidado carrying at one end two upwardlyprojecting arms, said base plate projection lying between said arms and being adapted to move one arm to the other, and means for moving it.

4. In a pelorus, a base plate, an alidade mounted thereon, said base plate carrying an upright projection at one end and said alidade carrying at one end two upwardlyprojecting arms, said base plate projection lying between said arms and being adapted to move from one arm to the other, means for moving it, and means for locking it in any desired position.

In a pelorns, a stud, an alidade, a baseplate therefor having a collar located to turn on said stud, said collar having a finger, and means to engage said finger and clamp said base plate to said stud.

6. In a pelorus, a stud, an alidade, a base plate having a Collar located to turn on said stud, said collar having a linger adapted to clamp said base plate to said stud, means 'for so clamping it, an alidade mounted on said base plate and having a motion With relation thereto and a motion therewith around. said stud, and means for adjusting said alidade with relation to said base plate.

7. In a pelorous, a housing, a glmbal mechanism supported thereon, a transparent dial mounted on said gmbal mechanism, and an alidade also mounted thereon, said dial and said alidade being free to be rotated, means for clamping them in any desired position, a Weight suspended from said gimbal mechanism and means on said Weight for supporting a light whereby said light `Will be located in said housing and said dial and alidade inay be read.

FRANK C. MEICHSNER. 

